phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Docu-drama

Posted by ESC on May 28, 2000

In Reply to: "Betweenity" posted by James Briggs on May 28, 2000

: : David Harrison, Editor of a section of our local evening paper sent me the following:

: : "Arnolfini in Bristol has an exhibition coming up called From Here to Betweenity. They say betweenity was a word coined by Horace Walpole in 1760
: : and is meant to "evoke the twilight between documentation and dramatisation"
: : - whatever that means!"

: : Any thoughts?!

: I think ESCs follow up has gone missing. In any case, I can't find it. Please repeat. Thanks.

Jeez. My response has gone missing. And I don't remember what I said. Let me try to reconstruct.

It sounds like a betweenity is like what we call in the U.S. a "docu-drama" or docudrama. Jazzing up a story a bit. I don't like to watch docudramas because I like to know what is fiction and what is "true facts" (a term from the old humor magazine "National Lampoon"). I especially don't like it if the event being portrayed is something that happened during my time -- like the assassination of President Kennedy. God rest his soul.

Docudrama is a cousin to the "non-fiction novel." I believe this term was first used to apply to Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," or maybe later to Norman Mailer's "Executioner's Song." The writer uses the techniques of fiction to tell a story.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.